Doctors have issued a warning about a skincare routine popular on TikTok – and say it may actually be doing more harm than good.
The ‘morning shed’ trend sees people going to bed plastered in face masks, eye masks, chin straps, mouth and face tape, and bonnets in a bid to achieve glowing ‘glass skin’ by morning.
‘The uglier you go to bed, the hotter you wake up’ has become the mantra of many social media users, such as American TikToker Ashley West, who boasts one million followers, as they layer up before bedtime.
The popular, but time consuming, process sees people peeling off the many layers in the morning as they get ready for the day.
But despite the great amount of effort, experts have warned that it might all be in vain.
Dr Anjali Mahto said face-taping – the process of putting kinesiology tape on your face to restrict the muscle movement and try stop wrinkles forming – is an ineffective way of stopping the ageing process.
The consultant dermatologist and founder of the Self London clinic told The Guardian: ‘Wrinkles are not just about movement, they involve collagen loss, changes in fat distribution… Taping cannot reverse or prevent those processes.
‘At best, it offers a fleeting sense of control. At worst, it disrupts the barrier and causes unnecessary inflammation.’
Doctors have warned women that their ‘morning shed’ routine may be doing more harm than good
Creator are often seen wearing silicone patches, sometimes filled with reactive productive such as retinol, which can cause irritation when pressed into the skin over night
Another influencer pictured with an array of uncomfortable looking accessories before sleeping
Influencers are often seen wearing patches on their foreheads or under their eyes, sometimes filled with reactive products such as retinol, which can cause irritation when pressed into the skin over night.
Another consultant dermatologist told The Guardian the compulsive use of collagen masks to sleep in has shown no proof of having any benefit.
Dr Cristina Psomadakis said: ‘Not only is there an environmental impact, but there’s also no solid evidence that applying collagen topically replenishes the body’s own collagen stores.’
The combination of random serums and lotions that women are adding beneath these masks are also causing irritation.
Cristina, the medical director of prescription skincare brand Klira, added that the ‘biggest problem’ most dermatologists are seeing these days is people ‘overdoing it’ by following skincare trends.
Her advice for the most effective routine was to just wash your face at the end of the day and keep steps minimal by only using cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen in the morning, and sometimes a prescription treatment at night.
However, there is evidence that mouth taping may be used to stop snoring and improve sleep with researchers at Harvard Medical School saying the adhesives ‘significantly reduced’ oxygen levels and ‘hampered breathing’.
Dr Mahto said that people are feeling pressured to not just have a polished appearance but a polished process in a bid towards a curated life.
One user, pictured, even peeled off a layer of tape over the top of her eyelids which were also covered by an uncomfortable looking compress
The viral treatment promises a fuss-free morning by having individuals sleep in sellotape, silicone face peels loaded with products, and augmenting chin straps
‘At best, it offers a fleeting sense of control. At worst, it disrupts the barrier and causes unnecessary inflammation,’ one dermatologist said
‘Skincare has not been spared, and these increasingly complex night-time rituals often go beyond what the skin physiologically requires, and instead reflect a broader cultural compulsion toward perfection,’ they explained.
Last year, dermatologist Sophie Momen told Healthline that the long process is more than likely to simply be ‘very time consuming and largely unnecessary’.
She warned that stamping endless products into the skin overnight can be counterintuitive to optimising skin health.
She explained: ‘Drenching the skin in heavy serums and products may block pores and lead to breakouts, while around the delicate eye area, it may cause the formation of milia.’
Further, using harsh ingredients with active ingredients that cause irritation since these products are only meant to be used for a short period of time and should be breathable rather than pushed beneath silicone.
Not only can it be damaging, but most products will achieve their intended effect after 10 minutes with little to suggest a further eight hours will better the results.
Though she does believe that some elements can be helpful, for example using silk wraps or pillow cases to reduce harm to our hair at night, the rest isn’t likely to reap any improvement in skin quality.
Not to mention, many complain that products and attachments are prone to falling off over night, likely making for a more irritating an uncomfortable night rather than one ‘better sleep quality’.
